Korean Beauty Industry Statistics 2026
Key takeaways
- Record exports. Korea exported US$11.42 billion of cosmetics in 2025 (+12.2%), and US$11.1 billion in January to September 2026 (+31.1%).
- Second place worldwide. Korea overtook the United States in 2025 to become the world's second-largest cosmetics exporter, behind France.
- The US overtook China. The United States was Korea's largest cosmetics market in 2025 (US$2.18 billion, 19.1%), while China's share has fallen sharply.
- Skincare dominates. Skincare made up 74.7% of Korean cosmetics exports in 2025.
- Small brands drive growth. Korean SMEs exported a record US$8.3 billion of cosmetics in 2025, roughly 73% of the total.
- Tourism and clinics matter too. 71.3% of foreign shoppers in Korea bought cosmetics or perfume, and Korea treated a record 2,011,822 foreign patients in 2025.
- Read market size estimates carefully. Published "K-beauty market" figures range from about US$14 billion to US$120 billion because they measure different things.
South Korea exported a record US$11.42 billion of cosmetics in 2025, up 12.2%, and became the world’s second-largest cosmetics exporter after France. In the first nine months of 2026, exports reached US$11.1 billion, up 31.1%, almost matching the whole of 2025. The United States is now K-beauty’s largest market, ahead of China.
This page brings together the latest official figures on the Korean beauty industry: exports, production, top markets, companies, retail, tourism and medical aesthetics. Most figures come from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), which publishes Korea’s national cosmetics statistics, and every number links to its source.
Key K-beauty statistics at a glance
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Korean cosmetics exports, 2025 | US$11.42 billion (+12.2%) | MFDS, May 2026 |
| Korean cosmetics exports, January to September 2026 | US$11.1 billion (+31.1%) | MFDS, October 2026 |
| World ranking as a cosmetics exporter, 2025 | 2nd (after France, ahead of the US) | MFDS, May 2026 |
| Cosmetics trade surplus, 2025 | US$10.13 billion (first time above US$10 billion) | MFDS, May 2026 |
| Largest export market, 2025 | United States, US$2.18 billion (19.1%) | MFDS, May 2026 |
| Countries Korea exported cosmetics to, 2025 | 202 (up from 172) | MFDS, May 2026 |
| Skincare share of exports, 2025 | 74.7% | MFDS, May 2026 |
| Korean cosmetics production, 2025 | KRW 17.94 trillion (record) | MFDS, May 2026 |
| Registered cosmetics brand companies (responsible sellers), end of 2025 | 28,412 | MFDS, May 2026 |
| Foreign shoppers in Korea who bought cosmetics or perfume, 2025 | 71.3% | Korea International Visitor Survey 2025 |
| Olive Young revenue, 2025 | KRW 5.83 trillion (+21.8%) | CJ Olive Young annual report, via Asia Business Daily |
How to cite this page
You are welcome to use any figure on this page. Please link to this page and, where possible, to the original source listed beside each number.
Suggested citation: BeautsGO (beautsgo.beauty). “Korean Beauty Industry Statistics 2026.” https://beautsgo.beauty/blogs/korean-beauty-industry-statistics/
How big is the Korean beauty industry?
Korea produced a record KRW 17.94 trillion of cosmetics in 2025, up 2.3%, and exported US$11.42 billion. Skincare made up 57.5% of production, makeup 15.8%, body cleansing products 11.9% and hair products 9.3% (MFDS, 2026).
The industry is crowded with small brands. At the end of 2025, Korea had 28,412 registered cosmetics responsible sellers (the companies that own and sell a brand) and 4,158 registered manufacturers. In 2025, 15,342 companies reported production, covering 145,360 products (MFDS, 2026).
At home, Koreans bought KRW 13.8 trillion of cosmetics online in 2025, up 7.7%, and about 80% of that was bought on mobile (Ministry of Data and Statistics, 2026).
Why “K-beauty market size” estimates disagree
Research firms publish very different figures for the “K-beauty market”:
| Publisher | Estimate | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Grand View Research | US$118.3 billion | 2025 |
| IMARC Group | US$16.0 billion | 2025 |
Other firms publish figures between about US$14 billion and US$120 billion. The gap is too large to be a rounding difference. Estimates above US$100 billion are roughly ten times Korea’s entire cosmetics exports (US$11.42 billion in 2025), so they cannot be measuring sales of Korean-made products. They appear to count “Korean-style” beauty products made anywhere. When you quote a K-beauty market size, name the publisher and say what it measures. For Korean-made products, the official export and production figures above are the most reliable measure.
K-beauty exports by year
Korean cosmetics exports have grown more than tenfold since 2012, when they were US$1.07 billion.
| Year | Exports (US$) | Change | Trade surplus (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 7.57 billion | n/a | 6.40 billion |
| 2021 | 9.18 billion | +21.3% | 7.88 billion |
| 2022 | 7.95 billion | -13.4% | 6.63 billion |
| 2023 | 8.46 billion | +6.4% | 7.15 billion |
| 2024 | 10.18 billion | +20.3% | 8.85 billion |
| 2025 | 11.42 billion | +12.2% | 10.13 billion |
| Jan to Sep 2026 | 11.1 billion | +31.1% | n/a |
Source: MFDS 2025 annual cosmetics statistics, annex table 1 (May 2026), and MFDS Q3 2026 release (October 2026, provisional). Growth rates are calculated from MFDS values.
The 2026 numbers are still climbing each quarter: US$3.1 billion in Q1, US$3.9 billion in Q2 and US$4.17 billion in Q3 (MFDS, 2026).
In 2025, Korea overtook the United States to become the world’s second-largest cosmetics exporter. France exported US$24.28 billion, Korea US$11.42 billion and the US US$10.75 billion (MFDS, citing Korea International Trade Association data). Cosmetics produced 12.9% of Korea’s total trade surplus that year.
Biggest K-beauty export markets
| Rank | Country | 2025 exports (US$) | Share | Change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 2.18 billion | 19.1% | +15.0% |
| 2 | China | 2.02 billion | 17.7% | -19.0% |
| 3 | Japan | 1.09 billion | 9.5% | +4.9% |
| 4 | Hong Kong | 698 million | 6.1% | +20.4% |
| 5 | Vietnam | 476 million | 4.2% | -10.0% |
| 6 | Russia | 443 million | 3.9% | +9.1% |
| 7 | Taiwan | 346 million | 3.0% | +19.8% |
| 8 | UAE | 286 million | 2.5% | +67.2% |
| 9 | Poland | 282 million | 2.5% | +111.7% |
| 10 | Thailand | 251 million | 2.2% | +11.4% |
Source: MFDS 2025 annual statistics, annex table 10. The top 10 took 70.7% of exports.
The US overtook China
2025 was the first year the United States was Korea’s largest cosmetics market. The US share of Korean cosmetics exports doubled from 9.1% in 2021 to 19.1% in 2025. China’s share fell from 46.7% in the first nine months of 2022 to 14.2% in the first nine months of 2026 (MFDS).
In January to September 2026, the US took 21.1% of exports (US$2.35 billion, up 40.6%), followed by China (US$1.58 billion) and Japan (US$0.89 billion).
Fastest-growing markets
Europe and North America are where growth is fastest in 2026. In January to September 2026, the UK rose to fifth place with US$443 million (up 179.3%), the Netherlands entered the top 10 with US$369 million (up 292.6%) and Canada joined it with US$285 million (up 124.4%) (MFDS, October 2026).
What K-beauty products sell
Skincare dominates. It made up 74.7% of Korean cosmetics exports in 2025.
| Category | 2025 exports (US$) | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skincare | 8.53 billion | 74.7% | +11.5% |
| Makeup | 1.51 billion | 13.2% | +11.9% |
| Hair products | 587 million | 5.1% | +27.2% |
| Body cleansing | 479 million | 4.2% | +15.8% |
| Eye makeup | 197 million | 1.7% | +1.0% |
| Baby products | 56.8 million | 0.5% | +44.0% |
Source: MFDS 2025 annual statistics, annex table 9.
Skincare is growing even faster in 2026: US$8.72 billion in January to September, up 45.1%, while makeup fell 3.6% to US$1.11 billion (MFDS, provisional). Korean sunscreen is not reported as a separate export category, because official statistics count it as skincare. Domestic production of functional sunscreen was KRW 470.3 billion in 2025, up 9.4%.
K-beauty in the United States
Is Korea the largest source of cosmetics imported into the US?
For skincare and makeup, yes. In 2024 Korea overtook France as the largest source of US imports of beauty, makeup and skincare preparations (customs code HS 3304), at US$1.70 billion against France’s US$1.28 billion. In 2025 Korea supplied about a quarter of these imports (US$1.80 billion, or 24.7%), ahead of Canada and France (US trade data via UN Comtrade).
Once perfume is included, France is still far ahead: US imports of cosmetics and perfume from France were US$3.64 billion in 2025, against US$2.01 billion from Korea.
K-beauty sales and channels in the US
- Sales: NielsenIQ puts US K-beauty sales at about US$2 billion, up 37%, with 70% sold online (NielsenIQ, 2025). Globally, NielsenIQ says K-beauty value sales rose 53% (NielsenIQ, July 2026).
- Amazon: Amazon says beauty sales by Korean sellers nearly doubled in January to September 2026, and about one in five Amazon beauty customers buys K-beauty (Herald Business, October 2026).
- TikTok Shop: NielsenIQ says K-beauty sales on TikTok Shop in the UK, US, Spain and Germany rose 430%.
- Stores: Olive Young opened its first US store in Pasadena, California, on 29 May 2026 (CJ Group). From 20 August 2026, 19 Korean brands curated by Olive Young went on sale in more than 500 Sephora stores in the US (Sephora).
US tariffs on Korean cosmetics
The tariff situation has changed several times since 2025 and was still under negotiation in October 2026.
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 7 August 2025 | 15% US “reciprocal” tariff applied to Korean goods, including cosmetics |
| 29 August 2025 | US ended duty-free treatment for parcels worth US$800 or less (de minimis), affecting direct online orders |
| February 2026 | US Supreme Court ruling on emergency tariffs; Korea’s trade ministry said it nullified the 15% tariff (Korea JoongAng Daily) |
| 24 July 2026 | 12.5% Section 301 tariff on Korean goods took effect (Asia Economy) |
Despite the tariffs, Korean cosmetics exports to the US grew 40.6% in January to September 2026.
K-beauty in Japan
Korea has been the largest source of Japan’s imported makeup and skincare since at least 2021. In 2025, Korea supplied 42.9% of Japan’s imports in this category (US$791 million), against US$439 million from France (Japanese trade data via UN Comtrade). In the first half of 2026, Korea held a 33.4% share of Japan’s imported cosmetics market, against 22.5% for France, according to the Cosmetic Importers Association of Japan (CosInKorea, August 2026).
Biggest Korean beauty companies
Largest producers
| Company | 2025 cosmetics production (KRW) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| LG Household & Health Care | 3.92 trillion | 21.8% of national production (our calculation) |
| Amorepacific | 3.03 trillion | 16.9% (our calculation) |
| Aekyung Industrial | 296.6 billion | |
| APR (Medicube) | 285.0 billion | Up from 21st to 4th place |
| Cosmax (contract manufacturer) | 1.61 trillion | Largest manufacturer |
| Kolmar Korea (contract manufacturer) | 1.30 trillion |
Source: MFDS 2025 annual statistics. Brand owners and contract manufacturers (ODMs) are ranked separately by MFDS.
2025 revenue of leading companies
| Company | 2025 revenue (KRW) | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CJ Olive Young (retailer) | 5.83 trillion | +21.8% | Annual report via Asia Business Daily |
| Amorepacific Group | 4.62 trillion | +8.5% | Amorepacific |
| Kolmar Korea (incl. pharma subsidiary) | 2.72 trillion | +11.0% | Hankyung |
| Cosmax | 2.40 trillion | +10.7% | Newsis |
| LG H&H beauty division | 2.35 trillion | -16.5% | LG |
| APR (Medicube) | 1.53 trillion | +111% | APR |
| Silicon2 (Stylekorean) | 1.12 trillion | +61.9% | Lead Economy |
| d’Alba Global | 519.8 billion | +68.2% | Dealsite |
Figures are preliminary or company-reported results. Olive Young is standalone; others are consolidated.
The fastest change in the industry is APR. Its revenue more than doubled in 2025, 80% of it came from overseas, and its home beauty device business alone earned KRW 407.0 billion. On 6 August 2025, APR overtook Amorepacific as Korea’s most valuable beauty company by market capitalisation (Edaily).
Small companies drive exports
Korean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) exported a record US$8.3 billion of cosmetics in 2025, up 21.5%, making cosmetics their second-largest export item after cars (Ministry of SMEs and Startups, via Newsis). That is roughly 73% of all Korean cosmetics exports (our calculation). In January to September 2026, SME cosmetics exports reached US$7.65 billion, up 26.4% (Ministry of SMEs and Startups).
K-beauty and tourism in Korea
Shopping for cosmetics is the most common thing foreign visitors buy in Korea. Korea welcomed a record 18.94 million foreign visitors in 2025.
- 71.3% of foreign visitors who shopped in Korea in 2025 bought perfume or cosmetics, the most-bought item. Cosmetics took the largest share of their shopping spend, at 33.9% (Korea International Visitor Survey 2025, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism).
- 12.2% of foreign visitors took part in beauty or cosmetic-care tourism in Korea in 2025 (same survey).
- Foreign visitors’ card spending on cosmetics rose 35% in 2025, according to Korea Tourism Organization card data (Electronic Times, December 2025).
- About 28% of Olive Young’s in-store sales in 2025 came from foreign customers, up from 2% in 2022. In 2026, foreign customers spent more than KRW 1 trillion at Olive Young stores by August, 33% of in-store sales (The Korea Times, August 2026).
- Duty-free sales fell 11.8% to KRW 12.53 trillion in 2025, even though foreign visitor numbers reached a record (Seoul Economic Daily).
Medical aesthetics: the other side of K-beauty
Korea’s beauty industry includes clinic procedures as well as products, and both are growing.
- Foreign patients: Korea treated a record 2,011,822 foreign patients in 2025. Dermatology accounted for 62.9% of visits by specialty, and foreign plastic surgery patients rose 64.3% to about 233,100 (Ministry of Health and Welfare, via Herald Economy). See our Asia medical tourism statistics and what percentage of Koreans have had plastic surgery.
- Toxin exports: Korea exported US$430 million of toxins and toxoids, the customs category that includes botulinum toxin, in January to September 2026, up 43.1% and already above the 2025 total (KHIDI, via Medipana).
- Toxin makers: Hugel’s 2025 revenue reached a record KRW 425.1 billion, and Daewoong’s Nabota botulinum toxin sold KRW 228.9 billion, up 19%.
- Skin boosters: PharmaResearch, maker of the Rejuran skin booster, grew 2025 revenue 53% to KRW 535.7 billion (Smart Today).
These are the procedures many visitors come to Seoul for, and our South Korea destination page lists clinics. Learn more about skin boosters, Rejuran vs Juvelook vs Skinvive, Botox and aesthetic dermatology in Korea, or read why Korean clinics often improve skin before changing features.
Korean beauty consumers
- Online: cosmetics made up 5.1% of Korea’s KRW 272 trillion online shopping in 2025, and 56.6% of online sales to overseas buyers (KRW 1.71 trillion, up 20.4%) (Ministry of Data and Statistics, 2026).
- Men: Korea’s men’s cosmetics market was worth about KRW 1.2 trillion in 2024, according to Euromonitor (Hankyung). In a 2025 Opensurvey poll of 1,000 Korean men aged 20 to 59, 42% had had a skin or cosmetic procedure in the past year, up 6.8 points from 2022 (Opensurvey).
- Beauty devices: APR says it had sold more than 8 million Medicube AGE-R home beauty devices by the end of August 2026, more than 5 million of them outside Korea.
Korean government targets for K-beauty
In November 2025 the Korean government set targets of US$15 billion in cosmetics exports and 10,000 exporting SMEs by 2030, and aimed for Korea to become the world’s second-largest cosmetics exporter (CosInKorea). The ranking target was met in 2025, and with US$11.1 billion exported in the first nine months of 2026, the export target looks within reach well before 2030. From 2028, Korea will phase in mandatory cosmetics safety assessments, starting with companies with annual sales of KRW 1 billion or more (MFDS).
Methodology and sources
- Export, production and company counts come from the MFDS national cosmetics statistics for 2025 (published 22 May 2026) and MFDS quarterly releases for 2026, which are provisional. MFDS compiles Korean export figures from Korea Customs Service data and uses Korea International Trade Association data for world rankings.
- Growth rates: we use rates calculated from MFDS annex tables. The MFDS release text gives 11.8% for 2025 export growth because it rounds the values first; the annex tables give 12.2%.
- US and Japan import figures come from each country’s own trade data as published in the UN Comtrade database. They differ from Korean export figures because of product scope, timing and valuation.
- Company figures are preliminary or company-reported results and may differ slightly from audited annual reports.
- Currencies: figures are shown in the currency of the original source. We do not convert won to dollars.
- Our calculations: the SME share of exports and companies’ shares of national production are our calculations from Ministry of SMEs and Startups and MFDS figures.
Sources
- MFDS, 2025 cosmetics production, export and import statistics, 22 May 2026. mfds.go.kr
- MFDS, cosmetics exports January to September 2026, 2 October 2026. mfds.go.kr
- MFDS, cosmetics exports first half 2026, 2 July 2026. mfds.go.kr
- Ministry of Data and Statistics, 2025 online shopping trends, 2 February 2026. mods.go.kr
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, 2025 International Visitor Survey. datalab.visitkorea.or.kr
- Ministry of SMEs and Startups, SME exports Q3 2026, 26 October 2026. mss.go.kr
- UN Comtrade database, US and Japan imports by partner, HS 3303 to 3307. comtradeplus.un.org
- NielsenIQ, K-beauty’s viral rise in the US market, 2025. nielseniq.com
- NielsenIQ, K-beauty goes global, July 2026. nielseniq.com
- Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare foreign patient statistics 2025, via Herald Economy. heraldk.com
- Korea Health Industry Development Institute toxin export data, via Medipana, October 2026. medipana.com
- Company releases and filings: Amorepacific, LG, APR, CJ Group, Sephora, and news reports of DART filings, linked in the company tables above.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Korean beauty industry?
How much does South Korea export in cosmetics?
What is the biggest market for Korean cosmetics?
Is K-beauty still growing?
What is the largest Korean beauty company?
Is Korea the biggest source of cosmetics imported into the US?
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